A WEEK WITH HEIGHT METERS AND HILL TRAINING WHICH WE COMBINE WITH
GOOD FOOD, DRINKS AND SPA
Can you enjoy shaking legs and sweat drops on your forehead? Of course, but most people enjoy the combination of wonderful challenging bike rides and good food, plenty to drink and great company!
We invite you to a bike ride among mountains and valleys in close proximity to Bergamo. Everything is here! Winding roads without heavy traffic, one or two cows perhaps ... but also a couple of classic climbs that formed stages in the Giro di Italia, which by 2017 passed our valley, Valle Brembana.
Let our guide Marco take you on bike rides where he knows roads, curves and climbs like in his own pocket, Marco lives just outside Bergamo and has biked many miles around. We will see both Lake Como and Lake Iseo and the trip also includes an overnight stay at the vineyard where we enjoy good food & drink!
Welcome to a wonderful tough, challenging and tasty bike week!
Day 1, ARRIVAL VALLE BREMBANA AND SAN PELLEGRINO TERME
Transfer from airport Orio al serio / Milan Linate / Milan Malpensa is included on the day of arrival. We check in at our central hotel and gather for an aperitif and a short walk in the historic spa village. If time for arrival is in the earlier part of the day, you will have the opportunity to go biking a short tour in the valley.
In the evening it´s welcome dinner and conversation about the days to come.
Food included: Welcome dinner, 2 dishes with drinks
Day 2, VALTALEGGIO, BARZIO AND A GLIMPS OF LAKE COMO.
About 93 km and 1550 hmt.
Our guides help us with bikes, adjust, change pedals etc and make sure everything is ok. We take you through the lovely Valtaleggio valley, narrow and with the mountains almost hanging above us, then we wind our way up to passo Culmine San Pietro 1250 hmt and pause for a light lunch. We turn down to the valley of Valsassina and the town Lecco. Here we get a glimpse of Lake Como before we turn off home and up into our valley Valle Brembana again.
A first day to enjoy, check the environments and altitude meters. Afternoon aperitivo at the hotel and we end the evening with a guided tour in our beer brewery and dinner.
Food included: Breakfast, aperitivo, dinner incl beer tasting, water & coffee
Day 3, AROUND BERGAMO TOWN AND A HILL STAGE FROM GIRO DI ITALIA 2017
About 70 km and 1300 hmt
Today we challenge our legs and take on part of the Giro, stage 21 from 2017. We'll go south out of the valley and towards Bergamo city to get a few kilometers in the legs before we turn back into the valley again. In Zogno we take the now classic uphill, towards Miragolo San Salvatore, to push our legs a bit harder. This was a mountain stage where the top and the sub-goal were full of people picnicking and the atmosphere was high. Of course we cheered a little extra on Tobias Ludvigsson, the swedish biker, who whizzed by. . Back down in Bracca and a nice roll towards San Pellegrino and the hotel. An aperitivo before you have your own evening for dinner.
Food included; Breakfast, aperitivo
Day 4, SHORTER FLEXIBLE BIKING DAY AND GOURMET DINNER
About 36 km and 930 hmt
Today is flexible half-day biking to have some rest and recharge for tomorrow and the week's longest tour. We take the road up in the mountains via Ambria, Serina and then Dossena. Dossena was once one of the largest towns in the valley and the well-known mine was the livelihood of most people in the town.this is a nice trip and of course, we decide the length according to mood and strength of the day.
In the evening we take a transfer up our valley (20 min) and visit Agriturismo Ferdy where we get an insight into the traditional cheese making and the family's passion to cook with natural ingredients sourced from their own farm.
Food included: Breakfast, aperitivo, cheese tasting, evening dinner 4 dishes & well-chosen wines
Day 5, LONG TRIP ACROSS THE PASS ZAMBLA, AROUND ISEO LAKE AND ACCOMMODATION AT VINEYARD
About 110 km and 1700 hmt
We pack an overnight bag which we send with a transfer to the farm, today it carries off towards Lake Iseo and further down to our wine area Franciacorta. We get out of Valle Brembana via Dossena and Passo Zambla which is about 2000 meters, and one of the most famous passes for our cyclists. We come down into the valley Valseriana and pass Clusone to continue down over the now slightly rolling landscapes, until we see Lake Iseo. The town of Lovere by the lake hosted the start of stage 16 of the Giro d Italia 2019. This stage consisted of 226 km and a full 5700 hmt !!!
At the vineyard we check into comfortable rooms, of course toast with a glas of bubbles, the Italian champagen - Franciacorta. We eat a bite and take a dip in the pool. The evening offers a visit in the farm's wine production and a really good dinner with good wines.
Mat incl; Breakfast, aperitivo and evening dinner with wine tasting
Day 6, RETURN TO SAN PELLEGRINO TERME - THE FLAT WAY HOME
About 80 km and 500 hmt
Exit towards Bergamo and our valley Valle Brembana. Passes Bergamo and gets a little flat miles in the legs. We enjoy a lunch in one of the surrounding villages we pass overlooking the city. Aperitivo at the hotel on arrival.
Well back in San Pellegrino Terme, relax at the hotel and free dinner
Food incl: Breakfast, aperitivo
Day 7, VALLE IMAGNA ENDS OUR BIKING WEEK
About 93 km and 2240 hmt
We bike south and tackle our smallest valley, Valle Imagna. Here we will meander along the entire mountain walls of the valley, through the small villages and then to Valtaleggio. Today we get it as downhill, first day we went here uphill.... and we roll towards San Pellegrino Terme.
This was the end and last tour of the week and we thank our guides for the tour and cheers together. The evening invites you to Spa QC Terme with everything that tired biking bodies need!
Food included: Breakfast, aperitivo, light evening dinner at Spa QC Terme
Day 8, DEPARTURE FROM SAN PELLEGRINO TERME
The day is adjusted according to your departure times to the airports
Food incl: Breakfast
DATE : ON DEMAND
TYPE : BIKING TOUR
LEVEL: TRAINING CAMP
GROUP: YOUR OWN GROUP
ROAD BIKE
LOCAL BIKE GUIDE
LOCAL FOOD, BEER BREWERY
FRANCIACORTA WINE
LENGTH: 1 WEEK, 7 NIGHTS
HOTEL & WINE FARM
AGRITURISMO
PRICE: from 1390.00 €
THIS IS INCLUDED
Transfer from and to recommended airports or stations.
Part of two- triple rooms, hotel ***, 6 nights incl breakfast.
Part of two-triple room at Agriturismo / vineyard, 1 night incl. Breakfast.
5x evening dinner with drinks, aperitivo & coffee.
All excursions, visits and tastings mentioned in the program
Evening entrance at Spa QC Terme
Local bike guide every bike day
Swedish service & support
MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
We seldom cancel trips, we arrange them because we want to bike in the mountains ourselves. If, in the unlikely event that we cancel a trip, the traveler will be offered to complete the trip at a surcharge, choose another trip or cancel the trip and get all the money back, including the registration fee. If the trip is canceled, this will be announced no later than 30 days before departure.
PROGRAM CHANGES The
program may change due to external circumstances such as the weather's suitability for the activity
ACCOMMODATION
We live in a bicycle-adapted hotel *** in San Pellegrino Terme. Alternative nights at Agriturismo or vineyard.
BICYCLES
You bring your own bike to get the best of experiences. Of course there are bikes to rent if it would suit you better. We work with Wilier or KTM bikes. If you rent a bicycle, it is good if you bring private equipment such as a bicycle computer, helmet and pedals. Feel free to contact us for questions.
INSURANCE
Do not forget to check your insurances for any damage to the rental bike, if you hire one. These possible damages are paid in full on site at a recommended workshop. Before you leave Sweden, you are offered a bicycle insurance from our bicycle shop. Does not apply to theft.
Private accident insurance is mandatory, which includes the activity you´ve been choosing. If you are a EU member, please bring your EU healthcare card, which you will easy up the eventually visit at the hospital.
FLIGHT
It does not include flights or other means of transport to the start of the trip. We recommend Bergamo / Orio al Serio Airport and Milan / Linate or Milan / Malpensa. Ryanair flies to Bergamo from most major European cities, Easy Jet from Stockholm and Copenhagen to Milan. Lufthansa also has flights to Bergamo.
COVID-19
We strictly adhere to laws and recommendations that prevail within the country and we recommend that you read and keep updated before departure from Sweden on current rules in Italy.
We recommend that you always book a flight with rebooking or cancellation protection.
Your experience with SarasItaly is fully cancellable up to 20 days before arrival.
If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel recommendations are changed to include Italy as a country to which the dissuasion applies, the trip may be canceled with a full refund.
If the traveler or close relatives are exposed by Covid-19, the trip may be canceled free of charge if a DOCTOR'S CERTIFICATE confirms the permit.
WWW.SARASITALY.COM
SarasItaly, Swedish travel agency in Italy, active travel in the small format that provides great experiences. * Bergamo * San Pellegrino Terme * Lake Como * Milan * Franciacorta. Hiking, cycling and good local food.